Topics

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Other Reviews / The Immortal Hulk #1 by Al Ewing

« on: 16 June, 2018, 03:41:56 pm »

I read 2000ad every week and find it hard to get excited by other comics. I get blinded by the sheer number of variant covers, crossovers & reboots. Behind an Alex Ross cover is this horror take on the Jolly Green Giant. There’s no continuity - hear as I’ve not read a Hulk comic before. It’s bloody good though - strong art & story. It’s Al Ewing but not the craziness I expected from the Zombo-king. Try it but don’t flick through first. There’s a couple of page turns that are to die for!

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News / VICE PRESS New 2000ad Prints released including Tula Lotay ANDERSON

« on: 09 November, 2017, 10:52:15 am »

Vice Press have released a second wave of reasonably priced 2000AD prints today - many of these were on show at the hard-to-find Thought Bubble related gallery.
I don't remember seeing the amazing Tula Lotay Anderson before - simply wow!

https://vice-press.com/collections/new-items/

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Other Reviews / Scarlet Traces - Volume 2 - Ian Edginton & D'Israeli

« on: 08 October, 2017, 05:40:49 pm »

This volume of Edginton & D'Israeli's continuation of War of the Worlds reprints the Dark Horse series 'The Great Game' & 'Cold War' from 2000ad 1988-1999 & 2023-2034. I'd loved the original 'Scarlet Traces' series. The idea of a British Empire bolstered by retro-engineered Martian tech is a great one. D'Israeli's visions of traffic jams formed of Hackney Carriages scuttling on insect legs was a visual tour de force. It's a shame the lacklustre Independence Day sequel beat this idea to the big screen. This books greatest strength is also it's weakness - it's ambition. The creators refuse to repeat themselves - the narrative time jumps mean there's little recurring cast between stories. As a weekly story in 6 page instalments I found the breakneck pace almost unintelligible. I kept thinking I'd missed issues. I really just wanted a traditional 2000ad war story against the tentacled menace. Instead I got a satire of interstellar refugees, hybrids, racism, references to sixties sci-if & a main character who seems like a splice of dr who & David Bowie. The scope of these tales is staggering and maybe a bit complex to split into weekly portions. As a collected piece it is stunning. D'Israeli's style can encompass hard sci-fi and nuanced facial expression. At £17.99 it's  pricey volume but well worth it.

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Other Reviews / Brink - Book One - Dan Abnett & INJ Culbard

« on: 30 September, 2017, 12:38:11 pm »

Just read the collected Brink from progs 1978-1992. Maybe I've been spoilt by Casefiles & the MegaCollection but this is a thin volume collecting just the first series, some design sketches & script pages. I'd enjoyed the strip in the weekly prog but found it hard to follow. It reads so much better collected. There's time for long conversations, scene setting & character that can't usually survive 6 page instalments. It's taken me a while to enjoy the paired-down animation style art but the colouring is absolutely stunning. The use of graphic info reminded me of early American Flagg in a good way. I don't think we've had such a sense of world building since Halo Jones' Hooplife. Forbidden Planet in Central London still have signed copies - I can't recommend this highly enough. When's Book Twi out?

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News / Zenith returns in Prog 2050!

« on: 13 September, 2017, 06:53:38 pm »

I'm guessing it's just a pin-up or starscan. The face looks like Steve Yeowell - but is it? Great line up on the strips. Tharg's mighty organ swells with thrillpower!
The full line-up for Prog 2050:

JUDGE DREDD // ICON by TC Eglinton (w) Colin MacNeil (a), Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // A SOLDIER’S DUTY by James Robinson (w) Leonardo Manco (a) Simon Bowland (l)
GREY AREA // HOMELAND SECURITY by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
SLÁINE // ARCHON by Pat Mills (w) Simon Davis (a) Ellie De Ville (l)
INDIGO PRIME // A DYING ART by John Smith, Kek-W (w) Lee Carter (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SINISTER DEXTER // DOWN IN THE DUMPS by Dan Abnett (w) Steve Yeowell (a) john Charles (c) Ellie De Ville (l)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // HOME by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

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Other Reviews / The Leopard of Lime St

« on: 27 July, 2017, 09:59:01 pm »

Relocating Spider-man to a grotty English town in the seventies works a treat. Even the radioactive leopard origin doesn't seem too daft. What makes this a great read is the atmosphere of the time period. The energy crisis is on, there's unemployment and the best you can hope for is light bullying at school before being thoroughly beaten at home. At least you have your pantomime leopard costume and claw rope thingy to right a few wrongs. Recommended for fans of simpler fare like Doomlord. I couldn't get on with the Misty reprints - I think the typed captions kill it dead - but this was great fun. The retouching is pretty solid. Sometimes the type looks a bit grainy. I think maybe I'd prefer a new cover but it's a great package particularly as a hardcover with the print.

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Suggestions / More Luke Kirby - with art by Dan Cornwall

« on: 09 May, 2017, 06:57:33 pm »

I really enjoyed the Luke Kirby reprint. If the original creators aren't available could Rok if the Reds artist Dan Cornwall illustrate future episodes? I can dream. He seems a natural successor to Steve Parkhouse...

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Classifieds / Selling Last American tpb - Wagner Grant & McMahon

« on: 16 March, 2017, 07:02:08 pm »

Reprints Last American 1-4
Very detailed introductions by Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons (about sharing studio space with McMahon) & Mike McMahon himself.
Pin-up gallery by Rufus Dayglo, Ben Oliver, Leonard O'Grady, Trevor Hairsine & Neil Google.
Com. X 2004.
Starting at 99p
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262897841323

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Help! / Vol 3 Megazines wanted - without floppies in average condition!

« on: 13 November, 2016, 01:19:54 pm »

I'm after a few Megazines for a bookbinding project. I'm only after the Dave Taylor pages inside - so I'm not bothered about missing supplements, rips to cover, or loose spines. Blixab has been a great help yet again and is highly recommended. The issues I'm after are... 223, 230, 325, 326, 327 & 373. Any condition as long as intact! Thanks.

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Help! / Absalom in 2000ad

« on: 04 November, 2016, 04:36:22 pm »

I've been reading 2000ad since Day of Chaos and my favourite strip has been Absalom. I found the trade Ghosts of London which reprints the first 2 stories and a one-off. I think since then there's been a short-ish story and a one-off. Is there a reason we don't see much of this strip? I found Trevallion's art stunning and the writing really strong. Is there much love for this strip?

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Classifieds / Selling Daily Dredds vol 2 Hardcover - a must for Ian Gibson fans!

« on: 18 October, 2016, 02:19:14 pm »

I love it but I need space for the MegaCollection - £16 plus postage.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Judge-Dredd-The-Daily-Dredds-Vol-2-Hardcover-Ian-Gibson-Steve-Dillon-2000ad-/262679929204?hash=item3d28f1a174:g:zlQAAOSwZJBYBdLf

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News / IDW announce Complete Brendan McCarthy Dredd Collection Hardcover

« on: 21 September, 2016, 04:31:18 pm »

It's about time. 200 pages of Hardcover Brendan McCarthy goodness.

http://previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT160463#.V-KnKXOc-bN.mailto

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Classifieds / Cursed Earth Burger Wars Print Mick McMahon

« on: 09 July, 2016, 11:50:07 am »

Selling the A3 Print free postage £14.99 buy it now. Good photo's for those curious about repro.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262516580756

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Other Reviews / Titan - Rob Williams & Henry Flint

« on: 10 June, 2016, 07:08:29 pm »

Titan contains Titan, Fit, Enceladus: New Life & Melt, and really benefits from keeping the same creative team of Rob Williams & Henry Flint throughout. Flint is on fire, mixing action with horror. Dredd is put through the ringer like never before and you can see every injury. The colouring deserves a special mention - I can't think of any other artist who can colour his own work so well - it reminds me of early Marshal Law. Since the volume relies on more Dreddverse than a new reader could be expected to guess there is a recap page of Titan history. The story mixes mystery & action well but is probably best in the first story as horror. Without wanting to spoil the story the resolution is sudden and feels a bit convenient but the journey is amazing. Wrapping up with a darkly grim tale of snowmen in MegaCity One is a great finish. This really is 2 creators at the top of their game. There's an odd omission of the Glenn Fabry cover from the initial run despite other covers in the bonus material. Highly recommended!

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Other Reviews / Brit-Cit Noir - John Smith John Reppion Leah Moore Colin MacNeil Tom Foster

« on: 21 May, 2016, 02:26:50 pm »

Just picked up the slim volume "Brit-Cit Noir" from Gosh In Soho. It contains Strange & Darke: New Blood by Smith & MacNeil with outstanding colouring from O'Grady & Cunniffe. John Smith is in a lighter mood than usual and provides a sci-fi remix of The Wicker Man strong on atmosphere. Jehrico Strange has a striking resemblance to Judge Mortis - there are frequent references to his tv show which apparently means no one is troubled by his goat skull head. I'm not sure if he's appeared before and I'd like to find out more about him. He's partnered with a troublesome psi-judge Bekky Darke who has an interesting telepathic tumour which shouts out repressed thoughts. The 40 ish page story is great fun and it's a real shame that no sequel has appeared yet. MacNeil turns in a great art job mixing the occult with nature.
The second part of the book is Storm Warning - a slightly longer tale with a couple of  minor visual links to New Blood. Although low on visual horror the story has a real feeling of menace. The art by Foster combines the design sense of Steve Yeowell with the delicate shading of David Roach. Occasionally panels are either confusing or obscure - but oddly this ramps up the tension. Again atmosphere is key. It seems like together with Lawless currently in the Meg we are seeing a variety of strong interesting female characters break through.
Oddly the cover looks to be a clever paste job of 3 of MacNeil's panels inside. I'd rather they'd gone for the Alex Ronald spectral Meg cover reprinted amongst the bonus material. Overall this is a slight book of amazing quality - and high on originality. Highly recommended.